Iraqi Official Says Power Outages To Ease

BAGHDAD -- Iraq will be able to alleviate power shortages throughout the country this summer with increased electricity generation, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.

Adil Hamid, a technical adviser to the Electricity Ministry, said that output this summer will increase by 20 percent to reach 7,500 megawatts, from a peak load of 6,300 megawatts. He said the increase is due to the installation of additional power units and the refurbishment of several power facilities.

In 2008 Iraq generated some 4,800 megawatts of power.

Hamid noted that 7,500 megawatts is still far short of the amount needed to meet Iraq's requirements, and that the country would have to produce 13,000 megawatts of power per year to have a constant supply of electricity throughout the country.

But he said Iraqis this summer will have a total of 12 hours of power per day, divided into three-hour intervals. Vital services like hospitals, water-treatment plants, and other public facilities will receive power around the clock.

Hamid said border provinces like Diyala, Basra, and Duhok in the Kurdish region will continue to import electricity from Iran and Turkey.